Intermittent translational device



1951 c. A. ROCKWELL INTERMITTENT TRANSLATIONAL DEVICE Filed March 17,1950 IN VEN TOR. (H55 75/? A A 0 (XVI/EL L iatented Dec. 18, c n

" "TUNITE'D STATES PATENT OFFlCl'iji SLATIONAL DEVICE ChesterAaRockwell, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, assignor A i 1 1 to Collins RadioCompany, Cedar Rapids, Iowa,

. :a corporation of Iowa l 'I' l7, 1950, Serial 150,279

.BClaims.

extend from one turn of the helix to an adjacent This invention relates'in' general to apparatus forobtaining intermittent motion, and inparti'cular "to a'device for imparting translational' and intermittentmotiorrf'simultaneously toa shaft .jf. ii;;'

In the "ntricatefrnachines built by man today, it is often desirabletofim'partmore or less unusual motions to parts; Forexample, in .a radiotransmitter it may be desirable to slug-tune a coil which requires thataslug be moved longitudinally of a coil. At the same time, it may bedesired to drive a rotary resistor which requires that a shaft receiverotation-a1 motion.

It is an object of'this invention, therefore, to provide a device forimparting translational and rotational motion toa shaft.

Another object of this invention is to provide means for moving .a shaftlongitudinally and sithe helix mesh with the star wheel to impartintermittent rotary motion thereto, while the helix impartslongitudinalmotion to the shaft."

"Further objects, advantages/and features of this invention will becomeapparent from the following description and claims when read in view ofthe drawings; in which Figure l is an isometric projection of'the'intermittent-translational apparatus of this invention, and

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the apparatus shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1 of this invention illustrates a generally U-shaped bracketmember ID. A driving shaft II is pivotally mounted for rotational motionin the bracket ID. A shaft [2 terminates in the gear 13 which mesheswith a gear I4 carried on the end of shaft H. A suitable driving means,not shown, is connected to the shaft 12 and provides the motive powerfor actuating the driving shaft I I. Between the arms of the bracket l0,the shaft H has an enlarged diameter portion l6 which prevents the shaftl I from moving longitudinally of the bracket l0. Connected to theenlarged diameter portion 16 is a helix fin [1. Located at giflerentpoints .on the helix I! are pins l8 which turn. The pins iii are offsetradially from the pe-' riphery of the enlarged-diameter portion l6 andthere is a slot out directly beneath each-pin.

thereof. Means for doing this include a round portion of the shaft 22which extends through an opening 23 formed in one arm 9 of the bracketID in a loose fit so that the shaft l9 mayboth rotate and slidetherethrough.

irregular cross-sectional area as, for example'a square, and is receivedin a collar 26. The collar 26 has a square hole 2'! formed therein'whichre-' ceives the shaft 24 therein in such a manner that the shaft 24 maymove longitudinally of the'collar 26 but may not rotate relative theretodue to the irregular cross-sectional area of the shaft. A- holdingbracket 28 is of a generallyU shape and may be connected to the bracket26 to rotate with w it. The slide contact 3! may engage a rotaryrheostat 32 carried on the bracket it. The end 22 of the shaft l9 mayterminate in a slug 33 of a variable inductance 34. Thus if the shaft l9is rotated the rheostat 32 will be adjusted, and if the shaft I9 ismoved longitudinally of the brack-' et' 10, the slug 33' is adjustedrelative to them ductance coil 34.

Means are provided for furnishing these two motions to shaft l9simultaneously. Inoperation the driving means, not shown, rotate theshaft l2 which in turn actuates the driving shaft II through the gearsl3 and M. The helix l1 and the pins l8 rotate with the shaft II. Thestarwheel 2| carried on the shaft l9 extends down toward the shaft H sothat the helix I! engages it and causes the shaft l9 to movelongitudinally as the shaft H rotates, It is to be understood, ofcourse, that the shaft ll may be driven in either direction and thus mayimpart longitudie nal motion to the shaft l9 either to the right or leftrelative to Figure 1. The longitudinal back. lash of the device dependson the distance be tween adjoining turns of the helix l1. As the shaftll rotates, a pin I8 is received in a slot 36 A driven shaft l 9 isslidably and rotatably supported in the bracket [0 and carriesthereonthe star-wheel 21 between the legs of bracket 10; The shaft l9may be rotated relative to the brack et '10 and may also be movedlongitudinally The opposite end of the shaft [9 may be of an -5 formedin the star wheel 2| and intermittent rotary motion is imparted theshaft [9 as the shaft I l moves at a constant rate.

As shown in Figure 2, when the pin l8 fits into a slot 36 on the starwheel 2| it rotates it until the pin [8 emerges from the slot tangent tothe center of shaft II. It is to be noted that the enlarged diameter16;is Zundercut to ,form 'slots 3-1 underneath each pin -I8.-. Thisallows the pointsf.

38 of the star wheel to rotate relative to the enlarged diameter 16.After the pin 18 has emergedv.

from the slot 36, the enlargeddiameter. Iiiv en-.

gages a curved portion 39 of the star wheel'to hold it in a fixed rotaryposition; unti1; the next; pin engages the next slot of vthe:star..wheel..i F0112 a more detailed explanation of the pin-star wheelmotion, reference may be had tothepatentissueda t Cyr, No. 699,910,dated May 13, 1902'.

It is seen that this invention provides means.

for imparting both translational and intermittent rotation to a shaft.This type of motionimay bei. used for driving, a rotary elementsimultaneously with a longitudinalelement. Althoughaslug;

tuned inductance anda rotary resistor have=been9 rotary-motion -may beimparted to shafts .19 byuniform placingeof'the .pins' E8. or,alternatively, non-uniform intermittent motion may beim parted tothe-shaft by varyingthe spacings vbetween adjacent pins.- Likewise, the.longitudinal motion may be either constant orvariable, de.- pending-uponwhether-the lead of the spiral l1- isgconstant or variable. Anycombination which imparts intermittent-rotary motion and longitudinalmotion to-a shaft in the mannnillustratedxby applicantfalls-within thebroadscope.

of the invention.

I claim 1;.Apparatus for transferring, rotational and.

longitudinal motion to adriven. shaft comprising,

a, driving shaft connectedtma driving'means, a. helix mounted onsaid.driving: Shaft. a plurality otrlongitudinal pins extending acrossadjacent,

turnsofsaid helix, aedriven shaft rotatablysupa ported adjacent saiddriving shaft, and asterwheel carried on said driven shaft and receivedbetweenv said helix and enga eable with. said.-

longitudinal pins.

-2. Apparatus. forimparting longitudinal. intermittent rotational.motion to .a,.shaft.com,-

prising a bracket, a driving shaft rotatably sup.-.

ported in said bracket, driving means connected to said driving shaft, ahelix mounted on said driving shaft, a plurality of pins mounted between adjacent turns of said .helix parallel to said driving shaft, adriven shaft rotatably and slidably supported in said bracket, astar-wheel rigidly mounted to said driven shaft, and said star wheel,received between; adja ent turns of said-helix and en ageablawithsaid-gpjin's to-receive longitudinal and intermittent rotational motion.

3; Apparatus for imparting rotational and 1ongitudinalmotiontoa drivenshaft comprising a drivingshaft; abracket' of a generally U shaperotatablygsupporting said driving shaft, a driven shaft rotatably-and;slidably mounted in said bracket substantiallyparallel to said drivingshaft, a,helix ,mounted. on said driving shaft, a star wheelrigidlymounted on said driven shaft and in:- engagement with said helix, aplurality of longitudinal pins on said helix, and said star Wheel;engaged said ,.p ins.-=and. saidihelixl to translate longitudinalandQintermittent. rotational i motion toisaid driven shaft inresponse.to .rotaa (,tion of said drivin shafth 25.

4. Apparatus for imparting longitudinal and; intermittent rotarymotion:to adrivenshaftcomprisi g; racket means. ro a ab y. s pporting a;driving shaft, a .driven shaft, slidably. and ,rotat; ably supported. bsa d rac t, driving,, l ausconnected :to said driving,,shaft,...a.-.star wheel of j. the Geneva movementtype. .mounted on.said, driven shaft, a. helix .mounted, on. said. driving.v shaft, aplurality of pinsextending betweenad jacent, turns ,of. said helix and.paralleltosaid driving.v haf and aid sta eel nga ea le. with said pinsand said h el;ix ..for.r'eceivingdongig tudinal and intermittentrotational motion therefrom.

5. Avsysten according toclaimd wherein said pins are spaced equidistantabout the ..periphery, of said spiral.

6. Apparatus,accordin q claim 4 wherein said. pins are spaced-in a.random. manner about said. spiraL.

CHESTERA. ROCKWELL.

REFERENCESHCITEDW The following references:: are ;.of;: record ;.in.then file. of ithis'spatentz:

